Current Exhibition:
Lauren Koch // Mingling Echoes //
Reception February 6, 2023 from 4p-6p; Exhibit runs 6 FEB – 3 MAR 2023
Shepherd University’s Phaze 2 Gallery is hosting an art installation with sculptural elements titled “Mingling Echoes” by Lauren Koch, adjunct professor of sculpture, February 6-March 3. An opening reception is planned for Monday, February 6, from 4-6 p.m. in the gallery. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public.
Koch’s art incorporates found and repurposed objects from a personal collection amassed over the past three decades from many places, including her grandparents’ property in Northwest Georgia. Her collection also includes found treasures from flea markets, junk yards, and antique and vintage shops.
Koch’s “Mingling Echoes” exhibit includes written word, sculptural forms, and alchemic reactions—utilizing iron oxide and natural plant colorants that allow exploration of the boundaries of constraint and chaos simultaneously. In her artist’s statement, Koch says the exhibit offers a glimpse into her inspirations, personal experiences, and how she perceives memory and how they are connected, intertwined, and ultimately, triggered.
On her webpage, Koch calls herself a wanderer at heart but says her roots run deep in the Appalachian foothills of red Georgia clay plowed and planted by her ancestors. She also credits three study abroad experiences in Europe during college with influencing her work.“Having been steeped in the traditions and crafts of Northern Europe and Appalachia, my artwork serves as a conduit for fleeting personal and collective memories,” she says. “I prefer to work intuitively and follow my emotions, allowing my subconscious to direct my choices.”
Koch earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture and printmaking from the University of West Georgia and her Master of Fine Arts from the University of Maryland. Learn more about her here.
Upcoming 2022-2023 Exhibitions:
Student Honors Show – 13 MAR – 7 APR 2023
Capstones – 14-16 APR 2023
Past Exhibitions:
Caitlin Gill, Fowl Play //November 8, 2022 – January 21, 2023. Learn more about her here.
Kate Helms, sculpture // January 18 – March 10 2022. Learn more about Kate and her work here.
American+ by Michael Coppage // November 1 – 30, 2021. Learn more about Michael and his work.
Phaze 2 Gallery operations will be modified to ensure the safety of our visitors and gallery attendants. We have limited daily hours in which attendants will be available to monitor the flow of traffic, maintain safe distancing, and mask usage while in the gallery space.
The Gallery is open Monday-Friday 12p-8p and Saturday 12p-5p, or by appointment. For more information about the exhibit or to schedule a visit contact the Gallery Director, Evan Boggess
About Us:
The Phaze 2 Gallery is a cultural contact point between the Shepherdstown community and the outside world of contemporary art. We primarily exhibit emerging artists who are working to elevate the way our visitors think and see by challenging the popular concepts and traditions of their disciplines. Our intimate, versatile gallery venue offers artists the freedom to experiment and refine new approaches in their work before moving on to larger exhibition sites. As an instructional tool for the Department of Contemporary Art and Theater of Shepherd University, the Phaze 2 Gallery provides a discursive arena for our students, exhibiting artists, community, and art faculty.
Gallery Director
Evan Boggess, MFA • eboggess@shepherd.edu
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Center for Contemporary Art
Phase 2 Gallery
92 West Campus Drive
Shepherdstown, WV 25443